Letter from Oliver Cowdery, 8 April
1831

Settlement by whites commenced after treaty with Osage Indians, 1825. One of three original townships organized in Jackson Co., 22 May 1827. Bordered by Missouri River on north side and Big Blue River on east and south sides; western boundary was state line...

My dearly beloved brethren &
sisters in the Lord we received yours
dated March 1— on the
2 ult which was joyful news to our hearts
for we had been long looking for letters from you with the hope that the
news we should rieceive woud give our friends who reside in this
Land joy by confirming them in the belief that we are men of truth and the
Lord God of hosts has not forsaken the earth but is in very deed
about to redeem his ancient covenant people &
lead them with the fulness of the
Gentiles

Those who were not members of the House of Israel. More specifically, members of the church identified gentiles as those whose lineage was not of the Jews or Lamanites (understood to be the American Indians in JS’s day). Certain prophecies indicated that ...

A specific location in Missouri; also a literal or figurative gathering of believers in Jesus Christ, characterized by adherence to ideals of harmony, equality, and purity. In JS’s earliest revelations “the cause of Zion” was used to broadly describe the ...

&
make them joyful in his house of prayer, For
truly our Brethren we are men greatly wondered at and the Lord has
given us some friends and also brethren while we are strangers in a
strange land for
yesterday we held a meeting and proclaimed the word of the Lord, and
one sister thank the Lord obeyed the truth and at evening we held
another meeting when another sister obeyed also and trust that the
time is not far distant when more will follow for truly when we were
assambled at the water while my natural feet stood upon an exceding
large rock which had been rent in seams and fragments which was done when
the God of heaven bowed his head when it was finished, I stood in spirit upon a
rock that was broader then the heavens and in full assurence that the
gospel was commited to me to proclaim the lord gave his spirit and sinners
were pricked in there hearts, I this day
heard from the deleware Nation of
Lamanites

A term used in the Book of Mormon to refer to the descendants or followers of Laman, as well as those who later identified themselves as Lamanites because they did not believe in the religious traditions of their ancestors. According to JS and the Book of...

by the man who is employed by government a smith for that Nation he
believes the truth and says he thanks God he does believe and also says that he shall shortly be
baptized

An ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...

Settlement by whites commenced after treaty with Osage Indians, 1825. One of three original townships organized in Jackson Co., 22 May 1827. Bordered by Missouri River on north side and Big Blue River on east and south sides; western boundary was state line...

My dearly beloved brethren &
sisters in the Lord we received your[s]
dated March 1— on the
2 ult which was joyful news to our hearts
for we had been long looking for letters from you with the hope that the
news that we should <rieceive> woud give our friends who reside in this
Land joy by confirming them in the belief that we are men of truth and the
Lord God of hosts has not forsaken the earth but is in very deed
about to redeem his ancien[t] covenant people &
lead them with the fulness of the
Gentiles

Those who were not members of the House of Israel. More specifically, members of the church identified gentiles as those whose lineage was not of the Jews or Lamanites (understood to be the American Indians in JS’s day). Certain prophecies indicated that ...

A specific location in Missouri; also a literal or figurative gathering of believers in Jesus Christ, characterized by adherence to ideals of harmony, equality, and purity. In JS’s earliest revelations “the cause of Zion” was used to broadly describe the ...

&
make them joyful in his house of prayer, For
truly our Brethren we are men greatly wondered at and the Lord has
given us some friends and also brethren while we are strangers in a
strange land for
yesterday we held a meeting and proclaimed the word of the Lord, and
one sister thank the Lord obeyed the truth and at evening we held
another meeting when another sister obeyed also and trust that the
time is not far distant when more will follow for truly when we were
assambled at the water while my natural feet stood upon an exceding
large rock which had been rent in seams and fragments which was done when
the God of heaven bowed his head when it was finished, I stood in spirit upon a
rock that was broader then the heavens and in full assurence that the
gospel was commited to me to proclaim the lord gave his spirit and sinners
were pricke[d] in there hearts, I this day
received heard from the deleware Nation of
Lamanites

A term used in the Book of Mormon to refer to the descendants or followers of Laman, as well as those who later identified themselves as Lamanites because they did not believe in the religious traditions of their ancestors. According to JS and the Book of...

by the man who is employed by government a smith for that Nation he
believes the truth and says he tha[n]ks God he does believe and also says that he shall shortly be
baptized

An ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...

Settled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. president Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

,
Ohio, reporting on the activities of the first missionary group sent to work
among the American Indians on what was then the western border of the
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

. After being delayed in their
objective, Cowdery and his companions,
Peter
Whitmer Jr.

27 Sept. 1809–22 Sept. 1836. Tailor. Born at Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, in Seneca Lake, Seneca Co. One of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, June 1829. Among six...

Ca. 1810–1849. Teacher, farmer, law officer. Born in New York. Lived in Macedon, Wayne Co., New York, ca. 1830. Baptized into LDS church. Ordained an elder, by 9 June 1830. Served mission to Ohio and Missouri, 1830–1831. Stripped of office of elder, Aug. ...

, sought employment locally while waiting for authorization to
once more enter Indian territory. They had previously preached to the Delaware
and Shawnee Indians, who had expressed interest in the Book of Mormon.

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut Western...

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

Settlement by whites commenced after treaty with Osage Indians, 1825. One of three original townships organized in Jackson Co., 22 May 1827. Bordered by Missouri River on north side and Big Blue River on east and south sides; western boundary was state line...

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...